So I was asked to provide a Wellness seminar recently on healthy cooking and recipe modification. Normally I base the presentation around power point slides and possibly some other interactive learning activities. Since it was a noon-hour presentation, they requested that I demonstrate a recipe which they could then eat. So in addition to teaching about healthy cooking techniques, I also get to be a demonstration-chef! (Luckily, I love to cook and don't mind making a mess of myself in public.) So here is the heart-healthy, vegetarian lunch recipe I came up with. Then, as they ate, I gave the power point presentation. Very multi-media (if you can call cooking a media).
Panzanella-Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
2 Yellow, red or orange peppers, sliced in half length-wise and hollowed out.1 ciabatta roll torn into small pieces and lightly toasted
6 oz (or approx. 24 grape tomatoes) sliced in half
3 oz Perlini Fresh Mozzarella (drained)
8-10 fresh basil leaves, sliced or torn into thin ribbons
1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper to taste
Directions
Halve peppers length-wise and remove seeds. Place pepper halves in a shallow container with a small amount of water, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until just fork-tender.Tear ciabatta roll into small pieces and spread on small cooking sheet. Broil or toast for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned). Toss toasted bread pieces with remaining ingredients (tomatoes through pepper). Spoon into steamed pepper halves. Enjoy!
Serving Size: Makes 4 servings (1/2 pepper stuffed = 1 serving)
Number of Servings: 4
Nutrition Information per serving: 265 calories, 12 g. fat (3.7 g saturated, 5 g. monounsaturated), 386 mg sodium, 232 mg potassium, 2.1 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 9 g protein, 306% DV Vitamin C
